Boston
— Protesters converged on seven Rite Aid drugstores in Massachusetts
on Friday, April 3 to condemn the company's abuse of workers' rights
and urge Congress to pass the "Employee Free Choice Act" — a law
backed by President Barack Obama that would better protect employees
who want to form unions by limiting employer interference in the
process.

"Right Aid and other companies think it's fine to
threaten and fire workers who want a union," said Sylvia Estrada, a
48-year-old mother of six, who has worked at the Rite Aid distribution
center in Lancaster, CA, for almost 10 years with more than 500 other
employees. "After all the threats and firings, we still voted for the
union, but the harassment continues and now they won't negotiate a
contract with us."

Rite Aid is a textbook example of why
workers need the Employee Free Choice Act," said Russ Davis, Director
of Massachusetts Jobs with Justice.

The Employee Free Choice
Act would make it easier for workers to form unions to bargain with
their employers for better wages, health care, and job security. The
legislation would also help employees secure a contract in a reasonable
period of time and toughen penalties against employers who violate the
law.

"Today we are sending Rite Aid managers a message that we
expect this company to comply with the law and respect workers'
rights," Davis added. "We want an economy that works for everyone —
including the warehouse workers in Lancaster. Winning the employee free
choice will help spread prosperity to more working families."

In
2007, the federal government was prepared to charge Rite Aid with 49
labor law violations for threatening and firing employees at the
Lancaster distribution center. Flaws in federal labor laws allowed the
company to evade the violations with only a slap on the wrist and
promise to behave in the future.

Massachusetts protests were
held yesterday in Amesbury, Boston (Gov't Ctr. and Kenmore Sq), East
Boston, Everett, Methuen and Somerville and by the Western Mass. Jobs
with Justice chapter in Springfield, Easthampton, and Greenfield on
April 2. They were part of dozens of similar actions organized by Jobs
with Justice coalitions at Rite Aid stores in Albany, Bangor, Buffalo,
Nashville, New York City, Portland, OR, Providence, Richmond, and
Tacoma. Fifteen similar protests took place on February 13 in
California, Oregon, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Photos from
today's events can be seen at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/randwilson.aflcio/ProtestsAtRiteAidShowSupportForTheEmployeeFreeChoiceAct?feat=directlink

Jobs
with Justice is a community-labor coalition that links workers'
struggles to help build a larger movement for social and economic
justice. Learn more at www.massjwj.net

For more info contact: Rand Wilson, (617) 803-0799